Category: Citations & Paraphrases

Life

And so there is no reason for you to think that any man has lived long because he has grey hairs or wrinkles; he has not lived long—he has existed long. For what if you should think that that man had had a long voyage who had been caught by a fierce storm as soon as he left harbour, and, swept hither and thither by a succession of winds that raged from different quarters, had been driven in a circle around the same course? Not much voyaging did he have, but much tossing about.

– Seneca, On the shortness of life

Efficient

According to some authors (Georgevitch), ancient Romans “The Romans … were very bellicose people. Their leader ordered all the holders of the fort up to forty years of age to be active fighters, from forty to fifty to be guards of the fort, and after fifty to be killed, because they have no military value. Since that period the old men were killed.” Very efficient!

Marx was right


Marx wrote, some 150 years ago that “capitalism, if it wants to be sustainable, has to penetrate to each corner of our planet and submit it to its way of operating. When, in the end, capitalism penetrates all the markets (e.g. becomes global), it will start lacking space for expansion (and exploitation, op.ed.) and that would lead to its final collapse.” He was right.